The Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI; ) is a

special operating agency A special operating agency (SOA) is a designation given to a government organization within a department or agency of the Government of Canada, or a provincial government, that has some management flexibility, independence, and separate accountabili ...

of the federal

Department of Canadian Heritage The Department of Canadian Heritage, or simply Canadian Heritage (), is the department of the Government of Canada that has roles and responsibilities related to initiatives that promote and support "Canadian identity and values, cultural develo ...

that provides research, information, and services regarding the conservation and preservation of

cultural artifact A cultural artifact, or cultural artefact (see American and British English spelling differences), is a term used in the social sciences, particularly anthropology, ethnology and sociology for anything created by humans which gives information ...

s. Materials and media it handles includes paper, textiles, metals, and glass, as well as electronic media, such as audio tape and compact discs. The CCI offices are located in the

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

suburb of

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

Mission

The CCI is recognized as a pioneer and leader in the conservation of

cultural heritage Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by socie ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. The CCI supports the heritage community in preserving Canada's heritage collections so they can be accessed by current and future generations. The CCI is charged with the duty "to promote the proper care and preservation of Canada's moveable cultural heritage, and to advance the practice, science, and technology of conservation."

History

The CCI originated within the

National Gallery of Canada The National Gallery of Canada (), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's National museums of Canada, national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the List of large ...

in 1957, as its Conservation and Scientific Research Division under the leadership of Dr. Nathan Stolow. In 1964, the division was granted greater autonomy and became the National Conservation Research Laboratory ("NCRL"). As a result of its success, in 1972 the NCRL was split off from the National Gallery of Canada and was renamed the Canadian Conservation Institute with Dr. Stolow as its first Director General. It now operates as an agency of the federal government of Canada, currently under the auspices of the Department of Canadian Heritage. The CCI is primarily a research organization, but provides education and services on conservation and restoration-related matters. The CCI now promotes the proper care and preservation of Canada's cultural heritage and to advance the practice, science, and technology of conservation. The institute has worked closely with hundreds of Canadian museums, art galleries, archives, libraries, historic sites, academic institutions, and other heritage organizations to help them better preserve their collections. The primary role of CCI's clients is to acquire, conserve, research, communicate, and exhibit permanent heritage collections that are accessible to the Canadian public for purposes of study, education, and enjoyment. As a Special Operating Agency of the Department of Canadian Heritage, CCI has widened its scope of activities and now markets its services and products around the world. The CCI was included amongst other architecturally interesting and historically significant buildings in

Doors Open Ottawa Doors Open Ottawa is an annual event held in the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, that gives the public access to many of the city's unique and historically significant buildings. Among the buildings included are government offices, museums, radio ...

, held June 2, 2012.

Programs

The following are but some of the services CCI provides: * Conservation research and laboratory services. * Preventative and restorative conservation. * Transportation of artifacts. * Scientific examination and analysis of museum objects and archaeological materials. * Advice on preserving a historic house or property. * Collections assessment surveys. * Advice for conservation or restoration treatment for valuable works of art. * Conservation and restoration training. CCI also provides project-specific teams for conservation, scientific, and testing projects. Its Paper Group works with archives and libraries in preserving and restoring their collections. Research conducted by the Paper Group includes paper bleaching,

enzyme An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different mol ...

use, washing, and de-acidification. The CCI also self-publishes a variety of materials related to its work. As well, each year it publishes the ''CCI, the Journal of the Canadian Conservation Institute''. With a staff of about 80 to 100, the CCI has treated more than 13,000 objects for the heritage community, has published hundreds of scientific papers, and has distributed in excess of one million publications. The institute responds to at least 2,000 requests for assistance annually. Working together in well-equipped, fully secure, climate-controlled laboratories,

conservators In certain areas of England, conservators are statutory bodies which manage areas of countryside for the use of the public. Establishment, role and powers Conservators are bodies corporate generally established, and granted their powers, by a ...

chemists A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...

engineers Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while consider ...

biologists A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual cell, a multicellular organism, or a community of interacting populations. They usually specialize in ...

, and other professionals handle projects ranging from information inquiries to complex treatments and

research Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...

References

External links

Official websiteArchived - Canadian Conservation Institute
{{authority control 1972 establishments in Canada Scientific organizations based in Canada Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage Collections care Art history Museology Special operating agencies of Canada Department of Canadian Heritage